Blad 147 uit Stamboek van de leerlingen der Koloniale School voor Meisjes en Vrouwen te 's-Gravenhage deel II (1930-1949) Possibly 1947 - 1949

This page, from a register of students at the Colonial School for Girls and Women in The Hague between 1930-1949, presents a series of portraits alongside neat handwritten entries. While seemingly a straightforward document of names and faces, it evokes deeper cultural currents. Consider the portrait. The photograph, like the painted portraiture of old, captures not just physical likeness but also aspiration and self-presentation. This recalls the ancient Roman tradition of "imagines," where portraits of ancestors were displayed to emphasize lineage and status. Yet, here, the portraits signify something more complex: the role of women in a colonial context. In this seemingly simple register, we find a complex interplay of identity, history, and the enduring power of images. These women, immortalized in print, become symbols of a transitional era, their faces echoing across time. A testament to the human desire to leave a trace, to be remembered.